In Greek mythology, Cassandra was a cursed prophetess. She was gifted with prophecy but the curse ensured her predictions would never be believed. Not that it stopped her from speaking out. It behoves all of us to speak out about what is wrong but also about what is right. We can do that in our creativity whether it be prose, poetry or painting. What matters is the message.

I just read a post from someone listing 30 things they learned in life and thought I would do the same. I did not agree with some of his and I am sure many will not agree with some of mine, but it is not really the point. We are all different.

These are not in any particular order. And I added one for luck.

1. Life is not fair but it is fascinating.

2. Life is too short and too precious, to waste much time looking ahead or looking back.

7. You might not be able to change things but you can always find meaning, purpose and fulfillment.

8. There is nothing so small or insignificant than it cannot be precious and rewarding.

9. You may not get what you want but you generally get what you need.

10. You may not always be happy or satisfied but you can always be fulfilled.

11. The only reality is Now and missing this moment means it is lost forever.

12. A set of beliefs which give your life meaning, purpose, contentment, comfort do not have to be believed by anyone but you.

13. People are more damaged than evil and more frightened than cruel.

14. Your parents did the best they could. There can be nothing more than that.

15. When those you love and who love you in return hurt you, it is because they care and you care, and that is the gift and the curse of love.

16. The good thing about family is they care; the bad thing about family is they care.

17. You have only one body, look after it as if it were the most precious thing in the world – which it is.

18. Beware of ‘shoulds’ unless you are certain they are your ‘shoulds.’ Doing something because it is someone else’s ‘should’ is likely to do more harm than good and that applies to everything, including exercise and what you eat.

19. Most of the things which happen in life have more to do with fate, destiny, chance or plain old-fashioned dumb luck than good management.

20. You can’t control most of what happens to you but you can choose to manage how you respond to what happens to you.

21. Good health is often a gift some do not get. If you have it, look after it but recognise there are no guarantees and just value your body as your best friend, whatever is happening.

22. Make the best of the bit you are in. There is no other bit except the bit you are in.

22. What is happening in the world may not change, but how you feel about it can and does. It is not the way the world is but just the way you feel.

23. If you want to reject something, make sure you do the research first so you know what it is you are rejecting and so you don’t look prejudiced, ignorant, bigoted or ill-informed when you are rejecting.

24. You will never understand anything properly unless you have experienced it. No man for instance will ever understand childbirth. But even with experience, what you learn will never be quite the same as what someone else experiences and learns.

25. Many of the opinions we hold are inherited and not formed from either knowledge or reason, least of all what we really think or feel.

26. Sex in a relationship is the glue of love, compassion and delight which holds you more firmly together. When sexual relationships diminish it is because the relationship itself has diminished and it has nothing to do with the physical act of love.

27. The most powerful force at work in the world is Love and you may forget where you left it for a time, but you will never run out of it.

28. There is no such thing as pure objectivity, ever. Everything is to lesser and greater degrees, subjective and perceptive. How self-aware you are will dictate how much you can assess objectively.

29. Because of the nature of the relationship dynamic a parent will always have far greater power to hurt a child than vice-versa. It is also why parents can never be friends with their children, no matter how friendly their relationship might be.

30. Liking someone is more important than loving them and often harder to achieve. Being liked is particularly important for children.

31. Know Thyself! It is the key to all life including this one and any which come after.